Italy secured a golden double at the European Championships for young women. After the U18 national team triumphed with the title in Riga earlier on Sunday, the U22 selection also reached the European top, defeating Serbia 3:1 (25:21, 25:19, 18:25, 25:13) in the final in The Hague. Thus, the Italian team won their third consecutive European title in this age group.
The final did not start in the best way for the new champions, as early in the first set, one of the key players – Giorgia Amoruso – sustained an injury and left the court. However, this did not deter Nino Gagliardi's team, and Maria Teresa Bosso came on brilliantly from the bench, contributing to the ultimate success.
The Italian team won the first two sets with confident and organized play, demonstrating stability in both attack and blocking. Serbia managed to reduce their deficit after winning the third set, but in the fourth set, Italy quickly took the initiative, built a significant lead, and convincingly closed the match with 25:13.
Merit Adigwe was the top scorer for Italy with 24 points. Maria Teresa Bosso and Dalila Marchesini finished with 11 points each, while Linda Manfredini added 8. For Serbia, Vidačić was the top scorer with 16 points.

Italy also dominated the individual awards of the championship. Merit Adigwe was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP), Helena Sassolini received the award for Best Setter, Giorgia Amoruso was honored as Best Receiver, and Dalila Marchesini as Best Middle Blocker.

photos:cev.eu